Resilient diaphragm engine bearing



July 18, 1950 A. L. M. A. ROUY RESILIENT DIAPHRAGM ENGINE BEARING Filed Feb. 8, 1945 ATTORNEY Patented July 18, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RESILIENT DIAPHRAGM ENGINE BEARING Auguste Louis Marie Antoine Rouy, New York, N. Y.

Application February 8, 1945, Serial No. 576,746

1 Claim. (01. 308-26) 1 2 This invention relates to an improved engine with an integral circular flange i, and the upper bearing and one of its objects is to provide an wall 6 of the crank case is provided with an inenginebearing with a resilient diaphragm, which tegral circular flange 8, which is arranged in will maintain the engine shaft in true concentric alignment with the flange l, to provide a contindrivlng relation to the bearing and prevent the none internal ring flange, disposed at right angles distortion of the bearing under transversal torque to the main horizontal axis of the engine shaft 9.

of the shaft. On the flange ring provided by the flange sec- Another object of the invention is to provide a tions 1 and 8, my improved resilient diaphragm resilient diaphragm engine bearing, which will bearing I0 is mounted. This diaphragm bearing have an insignificant yield under radial pressures 1 is provided with an L-shaped ring H which is transmitted by the engine shaft to the bearing, bolted directly to the flange sections 1 and 8 by so as to provide maximum radial rigidity under means of the bolts I2, which are spaced equally working loads, but which will yield under lower from each other. A diaphragm section I3 is loads or pressures, when the engine shaft is disformed integral with the annular ring II, and a placed from its normal right angular relation to bearing 14 is formed integral with the diaphragm the transverse axis of the bearing, so that the section I3, and disposed in true concentric relabearing itself will conform to the position astion to this section and to the ring H. The bearsumed by the shaft when displaced by transvering I4 is provided with the usual bearing lining sal torque, and the bearing will be thus main- Ma, and is shown to extend equal distances on tained at all times in true concentric relation to each side of the diaphragm section I3.

the shaft, whether operating in its normal rela- The diaphragm section 13 decreases in thicktion to the engine, or in a displaced relation to ness from the point of its union with the bearing the engine, it being understood that the displacehi to the point of its union with the external ment may be small, but suflicient to develop a coupling ring ll, having its minimum thickness progressive distortion of the wall of the bearing, adjacent to the external ring H. The diaphragm resulting in gradually spacing the contacting sursection I: is centered with reference to the ring I I face of the bearing from the shaft, establishing and the flange sections 1 and 8, so that radial oil leaks and the concentration of working loads thrusts imposed on the bearing [4 will be transupon restricted masses of the bearing. mitted directly to the flange sections I and 8.

With the above and other objects in View, the The diaphragm is tapered as shown to prevent invention relates to certain new and useful concrystallization under fatigue stresses. It has been Structions, Combinations and arrangements of established by intensive laboratory studies, aided parts, clearly described in the following specifiby polarized light studies in loaded plastic macation, and illustrated in the drawings, in which: terials, by X-rays of metal structures under 1 is a al Sectional w through an stress, and by measurement of behavior of metals en n en main bearing, embodying y subjected to magnetic hysteresis and alternate vention. bending and flexion stresses, that metals and ma- 2 is a fragmen y Sectional V e illusterials will crystallize readily within the region of trailing the deformation Which develops 011 a maximum stresses and will break when these bearin when the shaft is d spla ed fr m ts norstresses are not equal at all points of the bending mal concentric turning relation therewith, greator flexing at ri l or memb r.

1y exaggerated. It is also established that when stresses occur Fig. 3 is a similar view, illustrating the resilient throughout a flexible or bending member of equal action of my improved bearing, under the transintensity, local crystallization does not develop Ver l o q of a displaced engine Sh so th and breaking of structure will not take place.

the bearing is maintained in concentric relation Applicant has applied the results of his reto the engine shaf shown greatly x ra search Work to develop the structure of the dia- Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the diaphragm and phragm, so that the load stresses are equally disthe crank case ring flange. tributed throughout the mass of the diaphragm.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, This is done by decreasing the thickness of the which illustrate my invention, as applied to an diaphragm from the inner bearin element to the engine shaft, 5 designates a portion of the bottom outer bearing element, and using throughout an wall of a crank case, and 6 a portion of the upper imperforate structure. wall of the crank case. It is well known that it is extremely difiicult The bottom wall 5 of the crank case is provided to maintain both ends of a shaft or the whole shaft in sustained concentric rotation, under working loads, and that transversal displacements of portions of the shaft from true concentric position, take place. The crank shafts of internal combustion engines are subject to the pressure strokes of a series of power pistons, which are successively impelled by explosive charges, and therefore subject the crank shaft to transversal loads applied at different times and upon different sections of the crank shaft, through the crank throws of the shaft.

Engine bearings under these conditions develop deformations of their inner bearing surfaces, under the influence of engaged shaft portions, which have been transversely displaced. When the engine shaft is forced out of its true concentric relation with the bearing it turns it, no matter how small may be this displacement, the wall of the bearing is also forced out of true cylindrical condition, and the ends of the bearings are opened out or enlarged, giving the wall of the bearing a slightly flared out condition.

When this condition develops in an engine bearing the lining of the bearing is spaced from the shaft, thus opening up oil leaks from the crank case, and the supporting or load carrying area or mass of the bearing is reduced in proportion as the wall of the bearing is deformed from a true cylindrical condition. When this condition develops the engine shaft has a tendency to drop in its bearings, and this in turn effects the compression and force of the explosion against the piston. The more the bearing is distorted the greater is the loss of efficiency of the engine, and the greater becomes the displacement of the crank shaft.

A shaft bearing functions best when it continues to maintain a true concentric relation with the shaft, and wears equally throughout its load hearing area, so that the shaft is uniformly supported, and no relative displacement takes place.

When the shaft is forced out of its normal axis of rotation, either in part or in whole, and usually in part, lateral pressure is applied to the bearing. With my resilient diaphragm bearing, the diaphragm will yield laterally, as shown in exaggerated condition in Fig. 3, so that the bearing itself is maintained by this yielding, in tru concentric relation with the portion of the shaft engaged by it.

This displacement is actually very small, but

the outwardly thinned diaphragm is capable of yielding, so that the displacement of the shaft will not permanently deform the bearing, and a true concentric driving relation will be maintained.

The diaphragm has sufficient rigidity to absorb radial thrusts, and to carry the normal operating loads upon it, due to the concentric turning of the shaft of the shaft under power loads.

The effect of my improved resilient diaphragm engine bearing is to maintain the efficiency of the engine, reduce oil and power losses, and prevent engine noises resulting from structural displacements, as explained.

It is understood. that various changes in the details of construction, their arrangement and combination, and in the substitution of materials, may be resorted to, within the scope of the invention, as defined in the claim hereof.

Having described my invention, I claim as new:

A bearing for an engine comprising a sleeve bearing portion, a diaphragm portion integral with the center'of the sleeve bearing portion extending radially therefrom and an attaching ring portion of L-shape integrally united with the outer periphery of the diaphragm portion, a crankcase having a flange ring, the radially disposed part of the L-shaped ring being secured to said flange ring, the said diaphragm portion decreasing in thickness from its point of 'union with the bearing sleeve portion to its point of union with the attaching ring portion and having its minimum thickness adjacent the attaching ring portion whereby the stresses at all points along a radius is proportioned.

AUGUSTE LOUIS MARIE ANTOINE ROUY.

REFERENGES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,445,821 Buck Feb. 20, 1923 1,731,958 Wickstrom Oct. 15, 1929 1,923,892 Skillman Aug. 22, 1933 1,993,350 Reece Mar. 5, 1935 2,030,193 Arnold Feb. 11, 1936 2,159,545 Bartosch May 23, 1939 2,213,392 Buske -1 Sept. 3, 1940 2,256,783 Pigott Sept. 23, 1941 

